//------------------------------//
// 32 The decisive blow 
// Story: A new breed of evil 
// by Rarity Belle 
//------------------------------//

	The sun was setting itself to call in another night, it would be a night of absolute darkness that followed up. Not a single body of the night would be revealed in the skies. No moon, no stars, no nothing. Just the sheer darkness of the night could be seen. A fact that would terrify a lot of ponies to no end, while others would be enjoying it to no end. The stages had been set for the final act of the play to happen. All that was still needed to be done, was to set the pieces and raise the curtain.

        It was in the ancient castle deep within the woods of Everfree itself that the original mare of darkness wandered through the rubble. Her eyes looked over to the last rays of sunlight from the holes in her helmet before the eternal darkness seemed to begin. With no light to guide or be guided with, the horn of the being charged itself up with amounts of magic that were previously unseen. Flames were being summoned into the room that was all too familiar for every member of the elements of harmony.

        The flames one by one were conjured into the reality of the situation, the being who had summoned them was given a first glance to the lights of night. It was a being that was long associated with the feelings of hatred, despair, betrayal and the worst of all, sadism. The hoofshoes that turned themselves over into those haunting long, black coated legs just before the armor was shown. All combined, it was a terrifyingly mesmerizing scene to watch.

        “I have finally returned to the mortal planes,” she spoke up under a chuckle. Then the magic around the horn reached to an item to her left side. Where the queen had her blade, would the empress have had one of her own. It was being draw before her eyes and she simply held in place right there. The cat-like eyes just looked over it and a grin was being made with her lips. The eyes were looking at a rapier that seemed to have been forged over a millennium ago. Even despite its age, it still seemed to be razor-sharp and in excellent condition.

        Nightmare Moon herself had returned once again. In order to fight the current reign of terror that stood under the banner of Nightmare Rarity herself. Though just as with the latest edition of the always so festive Nightmare Night, the Moon that was incarnated there was in fact Luna who had allowed herself to change. The looks were there, the mindset as well, combined with the leash.

        Though the heavy effects were felt almost immediately after the change. Bits and pieces had still been hidden deep inside of her body. With the events that had happened as they did, Luna had felt the crushing force of her alter ego upon her mind. That violent force that wanted to take over her body and so gain the full control. It was an inner struggle that she needed to win by herself before the queen would arrive on her own.

        “You will not take over my body this time, Moon,” spoke Luna through the mouth. One which caused the body itself to erupt out in a sick snicker.

        “And who is to say that, you didn't raise the moon, you didn't open the stars, you gave me a weapon even. So who is it that you want to get out of the way this time? Your sister?” the voice of Nightmare Moon asked before she chuckled up again. All of it seemed too good to be true for her.

        “No you fool, your successor.”

        “What?! There’s only one Nightmare, and that is me!”

        “Prove it then to her. You’re bits and pieces of the same entity, but you have the body of an alicorn at your disposal, she has the body of a unicorn,” returned Luna almost calm to her counterpart. Yet in a dead serious tone. Only to then add even more of an insult. “Cleave the rapier through her heart and you will destroy that piece of you, but also your successor, making you the supreme ruler but at a weakened state. Though you won’t be safe, unless you’re in my body. We need one another, Moon, you know that just as well as I do. Your successor, doesn't need you.”

        The words were venom in its purest form. Though it was a lot better than ending up with both Nightmare’s joining forces together in order to topple Equestria over into the chaos that Moon had planned out a thousand years ago. A deep growl was released out of the mouth of the being. The very pact between Luna herself and her alter ego had been sealed with that. The sword of the alicorn had to go through the heart of the other nightmare in order to restore the balance in Equestria.

        “So I suppose the waiting game shall begin right now?” Moon asked before she only gained silence as an answer. Luna seemed to have stumbled into a slumber right in the heart of the being to keep her own balance alive. Too long had both lived in the same body had created the effect that Nightmare Rarity had inside of hers. One was vast asleep while the other was awake. That was the way how things should have been going.

        The blade was sheathed once again and a deep huff was being released. The horn discharged itself as a whole. Moon just began to wander through the broken down room, almost as if she hadn't been there in centuries. Everything she looked at, there were memories of the past to be found.

        The mane flowed from her head like a mist. One that continued to just wave itself around and about before the eyes closed themselves for a second or two. There was a change in the wind without a warning. One that she had felt the second it was done. “And so it comes, the new nightmare to rule them all,” muttered Moon to herself with a grin. She moved herself over to the ancient thrones and stood in between the two of them. There she would await her to arrive.

        It was also done for a rather specific reason though. It meant that she was neither night nor day, but the things that remained in between. The shadows themselves.


~~~~

                     
The changes in the wind weren't anything that had been done by the pegasi. It was the real opposing side of the coin in fact. The wind was being created by the nightmarish unicorn herself who announced her presence that way. The wind began to pick up and even howl through the dark castle as if it was meant to get a scare out of Nightmare Moon.

        An attempt that was doomed to fail on multiple occasions already, but it still didn't stop her from doing such a thing. Though the strength of the winds and the howls being made caused some of the already broken stained glass windows to be broken even further. All while the flames themselves seemed to be actually unaffected by the raging of the force.

        “A force of nature has been unleashed upon this place, as it did over a thousand years ago. History is doomed to repeat itself but let me tell you one thing, impostor, it is never with the same ponies,” Moon replied to the howling winds with some of her own. She wanted to lure and taunt the unicorn out of her hiding spots. That way they could be battling it out, face to face.

        “But you seem to be forgetting the fact, that the facts of history are written by the victors of the battles. While some just perish like that, others will rise to become heroes. And cowards, do, survive,” the twisted voice of Nightmare Rarity replied to her. The winds appeared to be calming themselves down for no real apparent reason. Whatever was happening, it would be something.

        In the nose of Moon could the scent be smelled. That unique scent that the dark magic gave away from the unicorn. “You’re trained well in the dark arts, used them a lot as well. So I ask you this, why don’t you introduce yourself properly before your true, Empress of Darkness?” After the words had been spoken, there was a deadly chuckle being released through the room of the castle.

        A little something that caused the unicorn to actually descended down at an incredible speed before she separated herself into eight tentacle like streams of wind that rushed through the shadows of the place. There they would be collecting more and more bits and pieces of actual darkness before they would return to the original impact zone where a mare was already shaking herself to take steps into the physical world.

        The whole process was scary to look at from beginning to end. The howls of wolves could be heard ringing in the ears every single time that one of the ‘tentacles’ managed to get itself somewhere to deliver the bits of shadow upon the unicorn.

        Then it finally happened. It went accompanied with a powerful roar of pure intimidation that would make both a hydra and a manticore retreat back to their homes. With that had she appeared before the original Nightmare. Who on her own turn didn't even an eyebrow up or down at the actions done and seen. Though then had the actual form of the unicorn been witnessed by her.

        A form that best could be described by her as a cloud of shadows. No real contact with the physical world had been made by the being just yet. It was something that Nightmare Moon could have understood. It would be a shame if it was something that ended actually too soon.

        “So that is how my successor looks like? Hmpf, had expected at least a little bit more flair to be added. But I suppose you’ll be doing just fine enough,” said Moon to the other nightmare. She left the space between the two broken thrones. She began to walk around the other entity in a massive circle with a calm pace. Every last corner was being inspected from bottom to top. “Still, so many questions that are left in my mind just to figure out who you are and what you want. But, what’s the fun in that?” Her horn would have coated itself once again in the dark blue aura. Though she didn't seem to be charging a spell of any kind.

        Nightmare Rarity on the other end was surprised. She was genuinely surprised that she had been treated the way she was by the original Nightmare so far. Though when the horn charged up, every bit of her senses had been placed on high alert. She knew it was just spacing the time out before the final battle would take place. “I was told, that you wanted to duel me, a battle of the nightmares, as Celestia called it,” the queen of fears replied to the original Nightmare.

        “Oh did she now? I can’t remember her speaking those words really, but if that is what she desires, she can go up my backside!” Moon returned. She had spread her wings to the maximum width in a heartbeat. “I will never tolerate anything that she would say. I am not turning myself into a mindless slave like all of you have done! You worship a heathen god, yet fail to realize that fact.”

        Those words did manage to surprise the unicorn a bit more than she could have imagined, even had anticipated. She had expected the two of them working under one hat when she arrived. But from the revelations made, that didn't seem to be the case. “Then, I propose an alliance between us two to finally clear her out of the lands once and for all!” Nightmare Rarity replied with a persuasive and interested tone. If she could make peace or perhaps an alliance with Moon, everything would be falling right into her place.


~~~~

 
The only problem happened to be the very fact that Moon was Moon. She was not that easily convinced. The horn discharged itself completely as the wings were tucked back against her body. The eyes gave the clouds of shadow a dangerously sharp look from their corners as she returned back to a position in front of the mare. “Oh I don’t think so, witch. I wouldn't make an alliance with a second row puppeteer for as long as I live. You are not a Nightmare to begin with. You’re a scared, little foal who wants to have nothing but revenge upon her former friends. Pathetic. You’re nothing you hear me, nothing!”

        Moon had become genuinely angry at the clouds. A genuine anger that nopony should have ever encountered. Yet those two entities were practically the same. They were build out of the same body. Or better said: the same essence. It was flowing through both their veins like blood in a normal pony. “You think you are so influential with your powers of fears and fights, while you aren't even planning to throw the fear straight into their hearts by killing the princesses right before their eyes. A mad scientist, is what I call you! ‘Nightmare’? Not in a million years for you,” growled Moon to her.

        Those very words actually enraged the clouds of shadows. Their swirling became only more and more violent. All the way up to the point where they almost touched Moon. It was then that the unexpected thing happened. They returned to their center point. There where nopony else then Nightmare Rarity was being formed within the fraction of a second.

        Out of the shadows themselves had she stepped. Her two forelegs went one by one before the rest of the body followed suit. With the strand of mane that blocked the view of one of her eyes, she had glared over to Moon with the other. The expression given to it was everything but friendly. The sheer expression of hatred were returned to both of the mares. They didn't wanted to show either of them any form of mercy whatsoever.

        Though it was a learning curve for Moon. She saw just how much her counterpart looked like one particular pony she once faced. “Well, well, well, lady Rarity herself, now isn't it? Gosh how long has it been now hm? Mind if I say that you look good like that? Though the last time we met, you destroyed me with those rainbows of those pathetic elements,” she spoke in a tone of familiarity.

        “At least they got the job done and crowned me into the next one. Your forces were in the need of a queen, and they choose me. So, empress, I think the tables have been turned her for quite the little bit now don’t you agree upon that matter?” Nightmare Rarity returned sharp. It was just before she noticed the sheath against Moon her hip. The sheath of her own blade could be found in the exact same spot. The conversation would have resulted in an massive duel. A duel between the two no matter what would be happening. Who would be the victor and who the loser would be, was the question to be asked. But she wouldn't be going down without a fight whatsoever.

        Nightmare Rarity and Moon closed the distance between one another more and more much like as she did with Celestia before their foreheads touched each other’s. Silence was the manner of speech that took both of the mares over as they just stared right into the eyes of one another. The sheer insanity and malice that they both had for one another could be clearly seen as they didn't granted the other even one bit of room.

        With their eyes and horns locked in a manner of mental warfare, they both tried to use their magic to crack through the skull of the other and to plant the seeds of fear. Only problem was that they just cancelled one another out when it came down to that. No matter how hard either of the two tried, the results were always the same. It wouldn’t have worked at all.

        “You fear many things Moon, things that were only thought to be either a myth and legend,” Nightmare Rarity hissed to her. She didn't even blink to her original counterpart.

        Moon’s lips curled themselves up in response. She gave a small but blink-less nod towards her other self. “Oh you have not a single clue just how much thing there are out there, that I actually fear. But there is one thing that you will never know, and it’s the one thing you have failed to realize in your time as this supreme ruler,” she replied with a sick grin.

        “And the being?” asked Nightmare Rarity to her. Neither of them had blinked even though they had been staring to one another for close to five whole minutes. The desire to know the unknown was something that Moon sensed up among the very first things. She had picked it up when she had scanned the mare while she was still in her clouded formation.

        “Which one, is genuine,” the dark alicorn then spoke under a chuckle of her own. Rarity took a step backwards and was the first who blinked. With the contest being over had she simply charged up her horn in order to draw her sword and even Moon took a step or two backwards.

        The cutlass and katana hybrid sword was being drawn out to the battlefield and pointed straight towards the ancient Nightmare with a smirk. “The tip of a blade is always frightening to see, no matter who you are or where you live. It’s a common fear that can be used against you just as much as the others,” threatened Nightmare Rarity. It appeared she had reached desperation.

        The blue eyes of Nightmare Moon looked down the tip of the blade. All the way down to the very hilt that was being suspended in the air by Rarity’s magic. Once again a contact with the eyes was being made. “Oh yes, it’s a common fear indeed, but you seem to be forgetting a little thing here when it comes down to it. So watch and learn from the master.” Without a warning given to the other unicorn did Moon draw her own sword. She held the tip of it against that of Rarity’s blade.

        While the eyes of the unicorn looked down the rapier of her enemy, the fear was starting to crawl up to her for the first time in a very long time. “Suppose we aren't as immune for the things we spread as we thought,” the unicorn replied to Moon. She was more than ready to enter the duel with her nemesis. “I’ll enjoy finishing your pathetic little life, before you revert finally back to that good for nothing princess you are hiding so deep inside of your body.”

        “I’m going to be so sorry when my blade finally pieces through you, but it will make you just shut up for once. That alone is more than enough payment for me!” Moon replied to her successor as the tips of the blades raised themselves up. Both blades caused the sparks to be flying left and right as the dueling pose was made by both of the mares.

        “En garde!” they both shouted to one another. With those words would the battle of the ages begun for the two of them. The two Nightmares of Equestria would duel it out.


~~~~

                     
Back in Canterlot had Twilight rounded up all of the girls. They would be sitting in the guestroom. The mulberry unicorn had taken place in one of the many chairs that stood there while the remaining four, all took place among the three couches. With the fireplace blazing and the sun going down, did the time had arrived to discuss the plan for the events as they were to come, begun.

        “With the help of both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, we have been able to look through the books in the Canterlot library. To the best of our abilities we searched for something to separate Rarity from the essence of Nightmare Moon within her. We can however, only hope that that essence coated itself over the part of Rarity’s soul instead of actually became part of it. It’s a long shot for every one of us, but it’s the only thing we can be doing if we want to help Rarity out of this.”

        The cyan pegasus had taken on a bit more leisurely position upon the couch while she listened to Twilight's words. Something about them caused her to get her own ideas about it all. “You know, the thing I don’t get is, why don’t we just use the elements of harmony against her? I mean, it worked on Nightmare Moon remember? Why won’t it work against her?” Rainbow asked to Twilight. After the question would she have leaned deeper into the couch to make herself even comfortable.

        “Because, Rainbow Dash,” the voice of Celestia echoed through the room all of the sudden. All of the ponies turned themselves around to witness the white alicorn. One who walked up to them with a sad eye. None could have thought of a reason why she would be sad about anything, but that was what her eyes showed. The mare stood still just before the couches and moved herself with care in between them to give each of them a good look at her.

        The time for the princess to play open card was there. She couldn't bare herself anymore to keep the things she knew a secret for them. “The elements are rendered useless. With Rarity corrupted the way she is, not even the elements of harmony would be helping, because they would be missing one of them,” explained Celestia to them all.

        “No offence princess, but, I kinda had figured that part, actually,” Twilight said in response. All of the ponies suddenly looked at her. “I knew from the moment that Rarity had gone missing that something was wrong with the elements. I couldn't place it back then just what it was, but now that I do, I have been setting everything on everything to get my friend back. She’s not too far gone princess, we can still save her.”

        The ears of the princess had listened with care to the words that were spoken against her. Just the sheer intellect of Twilight Sparkle seemed to amaze her once again. Even though she never told a word, she still knew exactly what was going on. The eye of the mare then moved itself outward to the world around them and noticed the lack of light in the dead of night.

        Her example was then followed by Fluttershy. Who rose both of her eyebrows up and asked the question that would cause all the other ponies to look outside. “Where’s the light gone to?”

        “The lightness night, the time is there, my little ponies. The time for the final act. The battle that will end the war,” spoke Celestia. She then slowly gazed the eyes of every pony present.

        “War?!” Applejack yelped out in fear. She couldn't believe her own ears one bit. “How do ya mean, war?! Who has declared war against Equestria? Who’s the enemy in all of this?!”

        “The war against Rarity. Believe it or not, but at this very moment, they are battling it out with one another,” Celestia replied to her. She hoped that it would have calmed her down.

        “Who are, ‘they’?” Pinkie then asked the mare as she crawled out of the couch and walked slowly towards the princess. “Y-You don’t mean..?”

        “Those are exactly who I mean, Pinkie,” Celestia spoke directly towards her. After the words had she raised her head up again. She wanted to have a good look at all five of them. “I can teleport you to the location where they were fighting, but I can’t promise it will be a pleasant view. Whenever you are ready, I shall send all of us over to there.”

        It only took the five friends about ten seconds to look at one another and vote in their minds. And the very answer that they would be giving was a unison one of the highest self. “We shall be going, right now,” Twilight said for them all. All of them nodded to the words.

        “Very well then,” Celestia replied before she charged up her horn and under a loud poof with an explosion of light, they had been teleported away from their room in Canterlot.


~~~~

                     
With the swords having drawn back to their respectable owners and being ready to duel it out, there was a reason why Nightmare Moon showed some bit of mercy, if not compassion towards her unicorn counterpart. She knew things, the true things, that had happened to the unicorn and it wasn't something pretty at all. When the scan was done and the data that had been received in her mind, it was evaluated at a near lightning speed.

        The only true conclusion that could have been made out of it, was the fact that her essence hadn't just taken over Rarity like it was being done with Luna over a thousand years ago. Instead had it managed to chew parts of her soul away and replaced the bits and pieces that had gone with her own. And that was the very thing that created the nightmarish entity as she stood before her.

        Though time to think wasn't there anymore. The first blow was being dealt with the blades. The duel was in a full going. Both Nightmares were going at one another in full force. Moment after moment was there either an attack from one side or a defensive maneuver. Everything had been done in order to just survive the fight. With the types of blades being used, was the force that was applied to the blade something that both of them worried about in the backs of their heads. The possible fact was there that they could shatter on impact if a strike was dealt too hard or too fanatic.

        “You’re a good fighter with the blade, Moon, I do give you that, didn’t expect that,” Nightmare Rarity said. She dealt another charge that was simply being blocked by Moon with a grin.

        “Let’s say that I had my time to learn new skills up there,” the dark alicorn replied. She would have broken the attack and went in for a stab in the chest of the unicorn. Once again was there a successful block being made by the other her.

        “This is getting tiring and you know it,” the nightmarish unicorn added with a grin. She broke the attack on her own and took a step backwards to catch some of her breath. Yet Moon wouldn't be having anything from that. She went straight back into the attacking position not even giving the unicorn a second to catch her much needed breath.

        Block after block after block had been done by the unicorn. She then noticed a small gap in the patterns of Moon and she thrust her blade right through it. The effect of it were imminent and she had struck the dark alicorn in the side. A massive cut through her hide had been made. It caused Moon to retreat further than before. With the help of her wings had she landed back upon the altar of the elements and looked down upon both her wound as well as the other Nightmare.

        “You think you’re something, now don’t you? But I still stick to my original statement, you are nothing when it comes down to the dark powers.” Moon yelled to her while the charge of the horn became a bit stronger in order to seal the wound. “Shame this duel can only end one way.”

        Just after Moon had spoken those set of words was there a sudden orb of golden magic. One that just blinded the two dark entities for the moment. The bright lights of the magical aura caused Nightmare Rarity look away from the scene while Moon used her wing to protect herself and witness actually just who was coming to disturb their battle of the ages.

        There wasn't anything that could have even prepared the dark empress for the sights that she would be seeing. Out of the orb came the five remaining elements of harmony, as well as Celestia herself. The first emotion that went through her mind was the ancient anger that she had built up for the alicorn of the day. That genuine hatred for her was burning faster and wider than anything else she could have been doing with her life. “You nor either of those five foals shall interfere with the battle that’s going on between us two. This is a matter of personal satisfaction and debts to be settle. And none of you, are part of that process. Not, yet,” Moon growled to them all.

        “Nightmare Moon, I should have known that you were behind this all. Still, I do hope that Luna informed you well enough of the current whereabouts of Generosity before you?” Celestia replied to her. She wanted to avoid the question that wasn't directly asked of her. Instead it was something that was something that was demanded from each of them.

        “You didn't answer my question there, Celestia. But I suppose they will discover what it means if you cross in between a battle of two Nightmares,” Nightmare Moon chuckled before she jumped down from the altar. She had prepared herself for another round of fighting against Rarity.

        Both of their blades had been slicing through the air. They had sent two rather unique whooshing sounds through the room. A sound that indulged fear in all five of the ponies who all of the sudden began to wonder just why were there again. Though the message was clear to Celestia herself. She even gave a small nod towards Moon, who had turned her back to her.

        One of the wings of the princess spread itself outward, thus prevented all of the ponies from going further. Her stern looking eye watched over all five of them. “Do as she says. None of you even dare to stand further than I do. The last thing we need is more elements falling into the hooves of the Grim Reaper and you all know that,” the alicorn said to them in a serious tone. She would be protecting them from the chaos that was going on, but could only do so if they stood their ground.

        “But princess, isn't there anything we can do to help the both of them out in this madness? I mean, there must be something right?” Twilight pleaded to the white alicorn. She wanted to help so much. She wanted to get her friend back from the icy claws of the essence that had tangled itself up and around her.

        “No Twilight, there isn't anything we can do that won’t interfere with their duel. Except you preparing the spell to cancel the entity that shares the soul of Rarity. Other than that, we are only bound to watch this from the distance we are standing now,” said Celestia in a troubled tone.


~~~~

                     
It were hard words for each of the ponies that stood there. Yet they could understand them with every last fiber of their body. It would be stupid to just run in and battle it out with the two of them. None of them –with the questionable exception of Twilight– would have been strong enough to attack either of them alone. Let alone the fact that they were together then.

        All of the eyes had begun to look over to the two Nightmares. Though only Rarity returned the looks to each of them. Her stone cold eyes managed to send a shiver down the spine of each of them. They wanted to go home even more after that. Yet they were concerned about the mare, that same mare couldn't even give a single thing about the six of them. She didn't even gave a single thing about the presence of Celestia either. All she cared for was the fact that Moon would fall before her.

        “Once I’m finished with you, Moon, it will be the five of them that have to believe to my blade,” Nightmare Rarity hissed up in a bitter tone. Another clash of their blade had been made.

        “Oh really now? And how do you plan to do that, from beyond the grave?” Moon replied to her with a smirk. She broke the lock that the blades had come in and thrust hers forth once more. The surprise attack was something that had each of them gasp. Though Rarity jumped out of the way before she would be hit by it. “Lucky escape. I will promise you the next one, will be massive hit.”

        The five mares looked over the battle with a horrified expression. It happened every single time when they heard those cursed blade coming together with a crushing sound. None of them could have believed that the fate of a friend and the land even, laid in the balance of such a simple action. The Nightmares were bitter enemies of one another. As much as they didn't want either of them to live anymore upon the face of the lands, they still managed to keep it both fair and honest.

        It almost seemed like they were holding themselves upon the dueling code written in official guidebooks. Which was something that caught the attention of Twilight almost right away. She prepared the spell that would hopefully manage to save Rarity from her path of doom. Fluttershy turned herself away almost every single time that the swords made a clash with one another. While Rainbow and Applejack simply looked with a set of big eyes. They were mesmerized by the motions.

        The cowgirl and the wonderbolt trainee never had been the biggest of fans of the unicorn. A fact that was something widely known by every single pony they came across, but they still felt bad for the events as they had been doing down for her. Never in their lives had they expected that things would escalate so deep around her. It was almost heartbreaking to watch. She got more exhausted while Nightmare Moon kept on dealing blow after blow without showing mercy.

        Pinkie Pie herself was helping Twilight with the preparations for the spell. It seemed to be a lot better that way. The mulberry unicorn was showing signs of emotional damage from the fight. Even though they had turned their heads away from it all, the sounds that they heard were still unbelievable. Almost as if they had once again entered one of those infamous bad dreams. The only problem was that it was the actual reality of the situation. She wished that it was something their minds had made up or they got indoctrinated by the magic of the unicorn.

        “You ready, Twi? It seem like it can be over any minute now,” said Pinkie in a soft and sorrowful tone. She gazed into the eyes of the unicorn with a worried expression. Though Twilight needed to keep herself both cool and tough in front of all of the ponies. So with a single nod was the okay-signal given. The horn of the mare began to charge itself up and the preparations had begun.

        Having read the tome of the spell over and over, it was about the best shot that they had in the operation to get their beloved friend back and everything seemed to be going just their way. “All that needs to be done, is a little bit of charging. After that, we can only see what’s going to happen. And, thank you Pinkie, for everything you’ve done,” replied Twilight to her in a humble sounding tone. What followed was a hug was given between the two of them.

        Their cheeks nuzzled one another with care before they both released a small giggle. The princess of the sun slowly looked down to her side. She wanted to know just what was going on between the two of them. Though at the sight presented, she couldn't do anything but to crack a smile. Yet that same smile was gone in five seconds after she had turned herself back around to see the two clashing mares.


~~~~

                     
There was sadly enough one massive thing that stood in the way for the elements their victory and the reunion with Rarity. That was a little secret that only Moon seemed to know. A secret that couldn't be dared to be spoken in the open. She had her back once again facing each of the mares. There was the time to hack through the knots that had been made the entire time. The final decision had to be made in the life of Rarity. One that wouldn't be a pretty one for certain, Moon knew that.

        All of the thoughts of Nightmare Moon were steered by Luna herself, who was deep inside of the body. There was just one thing that seemed to be impossible for the lunar alicorn. One thing that she couldn't do even if she wanted. It was the very fact that she had to take a life. Luna was faced with the terrible decision to either let Nightmare Rarity live and thus continue her reign of terror, or to end the life of the once so generous and gorgeous looking unicorn once and for all.

        It wasn't any type of decision one would love to make and even for a mare who could be so cold and calculating, it was still heartbreaking. Yet the fact still remained and that was one that was truly stone cold, it had to happen if they wanted to save Equestria.

        There was a tiny moment in the eyes of Moon that caused her to lose focus for just the fraction of a second. Then they were being fueled by determination to end the life of the unicorn once and for all. It would be an event that none of the ponies would have ever expected to happen.

        Clash after clash and strike after strike were being made by the two ponies. That was all before the final blow could finally be delivered. Rarity had been exhausted, there wasn't any puff inside of her body that could help her continue the fight. Yet she was being the stubborn mare. A thing that she still caused her to make one last charge of forgotten hope. “Right where I want to have you,” whispered Moon to herself. She prepared her rapier for the final blow in the blink of an eye.

        All of the ponies on the sidelines noticed the changes that happened in the positioning of Nightmare Moon. They all knew just what would be happening in the next few moments. It was a revelation that caused each of them to stand just frozen upon the ground with their eyes wide open. None of them wanted to believe the things that would be happening within the upcoming seconds.

        Not even Celestia herself was able to do anything against it. Not even a word was being spoken by her in an attempt to stop the incoming charge. Everything just came to a screeching hold in the moment that the entire change in posture had been made.

        With each of them frozen in fear, Nightmare Moon had  turned her eyes one last time over to the six of them. Only then they turned back towards the incoming mare. It was then or it would be never. The hit had to be made if the lands wanted to continue to live on. Every last fiber deep within her body fought against moving the blade towards the unicorn. But the sheer power that Luna expressed upon the dark alicorn seemed to be next to nothing.

        What happened then was that the blade was thrust forward once again. Nightmare Rarity noticed it too late and she ran into the rapier with her chest. The unicorn would have come to a stop as her chest hit the actual hoofguard of the blade. The tip of it stuck out of her back. Her entire body began to shake and tremble. She felt the life being drained right out of her systems. All of the black, tar-like substances left her body like she was bleeding dry.

        Though there was only one more thing that the alicorn could have done. That was to show her the truth of the situation. The truth behind the lies she had been following almost blindly since the day she was formed by the nightmare forces. Moon brought her horn over to Rarity’s with care. They touched one another for just a single second. That very second on the outside world seemed to be lasting a lifetime for the two of them.

        In that very moment were the lies in which Rarity had been living in, broken as if they were nothing. The actual truth was being revealed to her, by the worst mare in the land. The history as it had gone down in the books, the very moment where the stallions tricked her into becoming the queen of the nightmare forces and she became the dreaded Nightmare.

        It all seemed to be just so unbelievable for the unicorn. Every last aspect of the truth caused her to tear up even more. The pain that was flowing through her body suddenly seemed nothing. Only after their horns lost contact with one another did Rarity dare to look up into the eyes of Moon and noticed they weren't the same.

        The normal, cat-like eyes of the dark alicorn had reverted back into the friendly looking eyes of Luna. Who gave her a single nod as a silent response. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, for everything,” Rarity managed to say before her legs lost all of their strength. She dropped down to the ground with a thud on the stone floor. It was in that moment that Moon removed her left foreleg out of one of her shoes. She would have closed the eyes of the unicorn and gave one last stroke over the cheek.

        The deed was done and the queen had passed away just like that. But at what price that was to be paid? It wasn't something noteworthy of heroic at all. Nightmare Moon would go down in the history books as she always had been gone. Yet nopony would truly know just what made her to pull the decision. Not even Celestia was allowed to know that secret that the younger sister would bare.

        Moon’s head turned itself over to the six ponies with care. They were thawing themselves from their position and gently moved bits and pieces of their bodies. Though before one of them could even speak words out against her had she vanished into nothing but thin air. Gone from the scene of the crime while leaving the body there to be put to rest by them six.

        Five looked over to the largest mare in the room. All of them had glares that could kill her on the spot as well. A dangerous cocktail of emotions had arrived, resulting in something more toxic.


~~~~

                     
“You, promised!” Twilight shouted out to her. She discharged her horn almost in an intant after realizing that Rarity had passed away and Moon had escaped. “You promised me to help in retrieving the soul as it was! But no, instead you just let her being killed! What sort of a monster are you, princess?” Words couldn't describe the mood for the five friends. Nor could be described for the princess herself. None of them ever even could have expected that such a thing was going to be happening. Every single second seemed like that it was going according to plan. But it was within the last minute that the changes happened. Changes that struck them all in a terrible manner.

        “Don’t you dare to speak in such a tone against me, Twilight Sparkle! Not even I could foresee that something like this would be happening. Nothing in whole wide world could have prepared me for the devastating blow that was given to us today!” Celestia pleaded for herself. She placed her hoof before Twilight, preventing her to come any closer.

        While the princess and the student seemed to be bickering a long end away, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack carefully appeared by the body of the recently deceased unicorn. The tears were standing in all of their eyes. None of them wanted to believe that Rarity had turned into such a monster before she died. None of them could believe it, none even wanted.

        “Would you all be quiet, now!” Fluttershy yelled suddenly at the princess and the student. The tone was that of Rarity herself, as if she would have called them in the moment. The two indeed stopped their argument together before they closed their eyes. The tears were being shed by all of them. All of the ponies, including princess Celestia had to let their tears go for a moment or two. For on that day they didn't only lose an amazing tailor and element of harmony, but they also lost somepony’s daughter and truly a one of a kind friend.

        It that was the thing that struck them the most of everything. Perhaps it didn't needed to end in the way it did but it was the only one that saw seen fit for. As saddening as it was, it was the truth of the situation.


~~~~

                     
The death of the queen was felt hard all throughout the wood of White Tails. Every last being that stood under her control got the signal that nothing was what it seemed anymore. With the queen dead was their existences useless to continue. They couldn't return back to the original Nightmare as they had betrayed her. So there was only one thing that the forces could have done. Which was to vanish from history like they never had existed in the first place.

        All over the woods of White Tails did the forces of the queen vanish from the lands. False shepherds, clouds of shadow, shadow stallions and even the savages, all just vanished like grains of sand in the wind. The domain that one moment was full of life was suddenly empty with only the prisoners to run the thing.

        The magical fog that once tormented the woods, would be  lifted a minute after the last force had disappeared through a couple of powerful zaps, causing lightning within it for some time.


~~~~

                     
“And so it came to be, that through everything combined, we all share the burden of the loss of a great friend upon our shoulders. A friend who will be missed for who she was, and not who she had become,” spoke Twilight Sparkle softly to herself. Her quill ran over the parchment with the help of her raspberry colored, magical aura. Her eyes darted off to the side where they saw Spike lying in his basket. There where he belonged and a single chuckle left the mare. Only to then return back to the letter she was writing.

        “Perhaps injustice had been done against our friend, perhaps not. We shall never be knowing it for sure. All that I can say though, is that Rarity will never be forgotten. For few were like her, and even less would be. Farewell.”